Women’s Turnaround makes a difference: Social Impact Report 2016.

December 22, 2016

Eleanor Riley

Women’s Turnaround makes a difference: Social Impact Report 2016.

The Women’s Turnaround Project based at PSS is a women-only service for residents in Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens and Sefton who are involved with the Criminal Justice System, and a large proportion of whom are on probation. The project aims to help women address the reasons for committing crimes and to reduce the risk of further offending by modifying attitudes and behaviours, diverting women away from prison, preventing family breakdown, improving women’s wellbeing and supporting life changes to empower women to build a positive future.

The Corston Report published in 2007 looked at vulnerable women in the Criminal Justice System and highlighted the need for a holistic, woman-centred, multi-agency approach to meet the potentially complex needs specific to women offenders. The report particularly highlighted the importance of community-based service provision, the value of a one-stop shop approach, and the importance of providing resources not only to those women coming into contact with a criminal justice agency but also for women identified as at risk of offending, as they have similar identified needs. The Turnaround project aims to help women in this position, and does so in collaboration with probation, police, local courts, HMP Styal, Citizens Advice Bureau, local drug and alcohol services, mental health services, voluntary organisations, solicitors, housing associations, children centres, and social services.